Severed by Vengeance (The Severed Signet, #1)

by Elle Maldonado

I think I’m going to adopt this ranking scale.

Was I foolish enough to believe such a thing existed? Especially with the heartaches, trauma, and losses I’d endured? Probably.

Self-awareness for the win.

Eva was mine. Mine to mark, wreck, and put back together as I pleased—only mine. And whoever had dared to touch her was as good as dead.

Yessss

“Who did this?”

Love this.

“I’m going to ask you again. And you’re going to answer—Who

Gets me every time

Who did this?”

Yes, this is the trope title too

My mind was reeling, hands buzzing, shaking with the need to spill blood and wreak havoc whenever I looked at Evangelina.

Probably not the best beginning with a cop to do that.

What was more disconcerting was that there wasn’t anyone I could coerce, hurt, or kill to make her better.

I get that feeling.

Self-restraint was a bitch.

Truth

My swooning over his protectiveness might set women back fifty years, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. It was endearing.

If it does, let’s go back in time fifty years because that is yummy

Good girl. Those two words had shaken me, stolen my breath, and turned me on in ways I’d never felt before.

Yeah because it’s hot

“But you on your knees, Evangelina—now, that’s something I would never forget.”

How she’s standing at this point, I can’t imagine.

“Derek… we’re practically cousins.” What the actual fuck did I just say?

lol. Uh, yeah. What did you just say?

“You and I would be so damn good together.”

Will be.

“I won’t pretend to know what it’s like to struggle with addiction or finances, but I try my best to understand. I’ve seen the worst and best of society, Derek. And even good people fall on hard times and get caught up in the streets. You should understand that more than anyone.”

She’s sunshine to your grumpy, Pollyanna to your brooding mobster hitman persona, etc. But seriously, I love this worldview.

So, this was what they meant about feisty Latinas? I was oddly turned on.

I picture Aimee Garcia as her

I couldn’t afford to kill this man in broad daylight and, worse yet, in front of Eva.

Priorities

that’s some Armageddon-level shit you’re about to jump balls deep into.”

Ah, well. Just another Tuesday.

So I did what I did best when it came to Evangelina. Lied.

Love, true love right there.

“I need you to understand something. You’re in my life now. You won’t be reckless.” He brought his lips to my ear and growled. “Mine.”

It’s the “mine” that clenches it. Give up, girl.

Fucking Derek. Fucking. Derek. God, I’d totally fuck Derek.

Ha! Do I ever know how that feels.

Turning around was not an option; doing so would only lead to bad decisions and possibly a morning-after pill.

Seriously hot memories though.

Nothing was gentle about how he gripped my cheek and forced our eyes to meet. And the way his dominance was wrecking my underwear had me questioning everything.

That’s exactly how it is sometimes.

“Angel,” he said, frustration lacing his tone, “tell me his name.”

She’s met Kai, right? If so, not him. Maybe it’s his adoptive abuser - er, father. Whom he’s already vowed to kill so this would just be extra torture time.

And I don’t want you committing felonies on my behalf.”

That’s right. Strictly misdemeanors only.

“I don’t take lightly to anyone touching or harming what’s mine.”

Yep. That’s what you keep saying. Like the criminal overlord version of “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

“What makes you think I’m yours, Derek Cain? You barely know me.”

Why are you just now questioning this?

“But you’re no angel, are you? I can feel how wet that sweet little cunt is for me. Goddamn, Eva, you’re going to soak straight through my pants.”

Not if you take them off.

“I’m going to fuck you, Eva. I’m going to taste and savor every damn inch of you. In my bed, in my room—on every goddamn surface of my house.”

Forget penciling that into your calendar, write it in Sharpie.

“I’m so sorry. Tonight completely slipped my mind. It’s my cousin and a good friend. Today is the premiere of this new murder mystery show and—”

I’m sorry, what?! No. You don’t answer that door. You need to prioritize.

“When I fuck you, Eva, I’m going to wreck you. Do you hear me? Every part of you belongs to me now. That sweet pussy only gets wet for me.” His breath fanned hot over the shell of my ear. “And when that time comes, you’ll be on your knees, taking this cock like a good fucking girl.”

Clearly defined expectations. Good on you, sir.

you fucked that hot piece of man yet?” I choked on my spit. “W-what?” “Have you impaled yourself on Derek Cain’s dick?” She punctuated every word. Priya threw her head back and laughed, letting herself fall onto the couch. “It’s a valid question,”

Love them

“Had I been you, I would have kicked our intrusive asses out and taken Mr. Muscles to bed with a quickness—or the couch, the floor. Wherever.”

She has her priorities straight.

“You’re mine. You’ve been mine from the moment I saw you. How many times do I have to remind you?”

Apparently, all of the times.

“I don’t want you to remind me. I want you to show me.”

Fair enough.

Fuck every single one of them. For Eva, I’d go to war with the whole goddamn world.

And this is why we love a villain.

Okay, she hadn’t met him. Ickadad was my main guess anyway and still is.

“I lied today. I broke my oath, and I lied for you. I lied for Helena. What am I even doing?”

Well, for starters, you’re staying alive and not being r’ed but please, continue on about how you lived to lie and cover for them oh police officer ma’am. Because in your world there are police officers and civilians. Something you’ve mentioned before. Let’s ignore FBI, secret service, CIA, Homeland Security, military, etc. It’s police or civilian. Or bad guys. And still no thank you for saving both her and Helena…who also saved your butt. Her character is becoming annoying. Is she the stellar and experienced Detective or a naive little girl with such a narrow world view Daddy paid for her badge and promotion? She’s almost died how often?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to have to do that.”

I wasn’t thinking when I rushed out of here to save your life or when I ran to make sure you were safe when we found Leni unconscious on the floor. I didn’t mean to make you lie. I know you’d never feel comfortable doing that despite having given your address and help to Rayne off the books and keeping contacts for informants off the books.

“Derek, you could have died.”

So could you’ve.

“I’ve lost so much. People I love and care about. And I just found you.”

Almost lost your life. Just finding him wouldn’t help much when you’re dead. Do you even think? Yeah, I mean think before you talk but also at all? Your character is actually devolving.

“Angel, I want you to ride my fingers like a fucking good girl. Show me how you want to be fucked. How you’ll come all over my dick.” I kissed up her neck. “Then you can watch me lick every single drop of you.”

Well, sir. That was a very clearly defined expectation. Good on you.

So much for being gentle.

lol

made me want to fold her over the side of the bed and fuck her until my cum dripped from every orifice of her body.

Um, couple of things. 1) You must have a lot of stamina and quick recovery time to be able to orgasm in every orifice. 2) An orifice is an opening in the body. Are you sure you mean every one? If you can fit in her ears and nostrils, then you were wildly exaggerated when previously described. Regardless, if one is not supposed to put a q-tip in their ear and m&m’s up their nose, I’m pretty certain that an ejaculating penis would also be frowned upon.

I was officially fucked.

And you still haven’t even gotten laid.

But alarm bells still sounded off in my head. What made these two so protective, knowledgeable, and calculated about my safety?

Decent bodyguards would be. This question pulls me right out of the story and makes me want to throw my Kindle. She’s a freaking detective. There are plenty of legal, legitimate answers to this that pair well with them going into tactical instructors. In fact, tactical instruction is a pretty wide field.

“You’re a bastard; you know that?” “I do. And don’t you ever forget it.”

Well. Not really anyplace to go from there. He knows. She knows. Bastard is in the house.

Without wasting another second,

About fricking time. I was beginning to wonder if you actually knew what the word meant.

I snapped inside her.

Um, ouch.

“That’s what I don’t understand. On the one hand, you wave it off as just business, but then you say things like that, look at me like that, and it makes me feel like there’s something more. Something you’re not telling me.”

And we’re back to this. As far as you know, he’s a self-employed tactical instructor so “just business” would very likely be both confidential and necessary.